【One Piece】Dawn in the Darkness

Chapter 443 I don’t want to change anything about my brother

"Is Lucci unhappy?" Luffy stood at the door, looking at Ace putting Lucci on the bed, and asked with a frown. He didn't understand the meaning of Lucci's last words, but he could feel something.

Sabo patted Luffy's head. Sometimes he really admired his brother's intuition. Even though he couldn't understand it yet, he saw the key to the matter at a glance. "Well, he's unhappy. Luffy should learn to be a little more selfish."

Luffy looked at Sabo thoughtfully. Sabo was always right, so if his brother was unhappy, he would take his brother away when he went out to sea.

But Lucci seemed to really not want to join his pirate group. Luffy frowned in distress and thought, forget it, he would ask Robin after they reunited. Robin always had the best solution.

Sabo looked at Luffy who seemed to be lost in thought and couldn't help but smile. He then turned to look at Ace who had just come out of the room. He was grabbing the door handle and gently closing the door. "Why did Luffy suddenly fall asleep?"

Ace's mind flashed back to what Lucci said, and his face turned a little grim. "Maybe he hasn't slept well these past few days."

"Why did you let Lucci sit alone on the back deck last night?" Sabo asked in confusion. Given Ace's personality, he shouldn't have left his brother alone after what happened yesterday afternoon.

Ace looked at Sabo in confusion, then his face darkened. He asked why he didn't see Lucci when he got up this morning. "That guy probably didn't sleep again last night. No wonder he showed up in the restaurant so early this morning."

"What should we do now?" Sabo asked while looking at the sea.

"What should I do? I must find a time to take revenge on the navy!" Ace said angrily with clenched fists.

"I want Lucci to join my pirate group." Luffy said suddenly.

Ace and Sabo looked at Luffy in confusion.

"Didn't Lucci say he didn't want to join?" Sabo asked in confusion.

"Yes, and I've already decided to let Lucci stay in the Whitebeard Pirates." Ace grinned smugly. "Since you've already refused, Luffy, and Lucci doesn't want to join your pirate group, then he'll have to stay with me in the Whitebeard Pirates."

Luffy frowned and looked at Ace in dissatisfaction, "But Lucci is not happy here, so he wants to join my pirate group!"

"No, Lucci is happy and he'll stay here," Ace argued.

"No!" Luffy retorted angrily.

"Yes!" Ace also retorted.

"You two, stop arguing." Sabo felt like he was getting a headache. "Ultimately, it depends on what Lucci wants to do."

"Then let Lucci decide for himself." Ace nodded.

"But, Luffy, do you really want Lucci to join your pirate group?" Sabo asked seriously.

"Yes!" Luffy nodded firmly. "As long as I am stronger than everyone else, Lucci will no longer worry about me. I refused yesterday because I was worried that Lucci would stand in front of me again like he did in Impel Down. I didn't want him to get hurt protecting me."

"But you should know that you can't control your brother's behavior." Sabo said with a smile, "If Lucci really joins your team, you can't rule out this situation."

"I will become stronger than Lucci, I will protect him, and I won't let him make such a sacrifice again." Luffy grinned.

"As expected of you, Luffy." Sabo chuckled and ruffled Luffy's messy black hair affectionately.

"Impossible." Ace looked at the happy Luffy and Sabo. Although he didn't want to break their good mood, they overlooked something.

"Why?" Luffy and Sabo looked at Ace in confusion.

"Lucci wouldn't agree." Ace looked towards the door. Among the three brothers, he was probably the one who understood the grown-up Lucci's personality the best. "He won't let himself be weaker than his younger brother, nor will he try to hide behind his younger brother. Whether he joins or not, he will always be your brother, Luffy."

Luffy looked at Ace in confusion "He won't hide behind me. We will go on adventures and fight together."

Sabo sighed, realizing what Ace meant "Luffy, Ace means that if you let Lucci join you, you can't stop Lucci from protecting you."

"But..." Luffy wanted to protest, wanted to say that he could stop it... but "Lucci will be unhappy, right?"

"That's right." Thinking of the conversation with Lucci, Ace sighed heavily. He now completely understood why Lucci was so worried about Luffy.

"What he fears most is being helpless and watching those around him fall into danger. What's more, you are his most precious brother. His desire to protect you will only be stronger. That's why Lucci is having such a hard time making a decision."

Luffy slumped his shoulders sadly and bit his lip, he didn't want his brother to suffer.

"Luffy." Sabo stroked Luffy's hair and said seriously, "I want to ask you a question."

"Hmm?" Luffy raised his head, regained his spirits, and looked at Sabo seriously. Sometimes Sabo's questions were difficult to answer, and he wanted to make sure he got them right.

"Do you like Lucci now?"

"Of course!" Luffy replied immediately, "Lucci is Lucci, I will like him no matter what."

"Do you like Ace and me?"

"Of course I like it! You are also my brothers, Ace and Sabo." Luffy answered seriously.

Ace grinned from the side, but did not interrupt the conversation between Sabo and Luffy.

"If you could change one thing about any of us, what would it be?" Sabo asked with a certain seriousness in his tone, which was enough to let Luffy know how important the question was.

Luffy frowned and bit his lip again as he thought about all the things that made his brothers what they were, the things he made them crazy and angry about, and he wanted to say that he wished Lucci wouldn't worry about him so much.

But he stopped abruptly. Lucci was Lucci. He loved his brother just the way he was. He wasn't sure if he would still be the same Lucci if Lucci really changed, no matter how small the change was. Finally, Luffy said seriously, "I don't want to change anything. I like my brother just the way he is."

Sabo and Ace both laughed.

"Luffy, we feel the same way about you. We don't want to change anything about you. Lucci feels the same way. Even though you often make us worry or drive us crazy, that's part of you. We love you just the way you are." Sabo said affirmatively.

Luffy was very happy that he had given the correct answer, but he soon frowned again and looked at Sabo worriedly, "Then Lucci..."

"We are all very sorry that we only realized this problem now." Sabo hugged Luffy comfortingly, then looked at Ace. Ace obviously understood as well, with the same worry in his eyes.

"But don't worry, Lucci is still the same Lucci." Ace smiled and stroked Luffy's hair "He hasn't changed."

Luffy breathed a sigh of relief for a moment, then looked up at Ace and Sabo, grinning, "I've decided. I won't stop Lucci from protecting me, but I will protect both of us. We will fight together and take on our enemies together!"

"Hahaha, well said, Luffy." Sabo couldn't help laughing.

"Well, if that's what you think, I will agree to let Lucci join your pirate group." Ace grinned.

"That's great!" Luffy said excitedly.